Chapter 628 – An Immortal Promise

Thirty minutes had passed since I held Hong-Yeon in my embrace.

-Boom!

“!”

Suddenly, a wild Cornus appeared! As soon as the door was opened, she puffed out her joyous breath. Sparkling!

With the determination of a man about to slap his opponent, she decreased her volume and approached with swift strides.

-Kwaaak!

Cornus, who had swiftly secured the rear, gripped Hong-Yeon’s ankle with all her might.

“Uh, um?”

Hong-Yeon, freshly roused from sleep, was startled by the external force. Despite straining her blurry eyes, she hadn’t noticed Cornus while in my arms.

Unaware of anything, and then suddenly!

-Swoosh!

“Huh!! Dowon?! Dowonnnnnnn!! Dowon is disappearing!!!”

Like a scene from a horror movie, Hong-Yeon was flung under the bed as if being sucked into a sewer.

“Time’s up. It’s my turn.”
“Ahhhh! Dowonnn!!”

Sansuyu’s merciless hand thrust Hong-Yeon out of the room.

Having eliminated her competitor, Cornus stood triumphantly, like a Doberman that had discovered narcotics at an airport. She placed her hands on her hips, raised her nose high, and her mouth curled in anticipation of our time together.

“… Is it your turn already?”

Cornus, her soft buttocks swaying gently.

She nodded emphatically. I had never seen a pup so well trained in my life.

“Come here.”
“…!”

-Scuttle!

As soon as I raised my hand, the eager pup came bounding in. Cornus, nestled in my arms, nuzzled her soft cheeks against me, acting like an excited puppy starting to create a ruckus.

-Pat Pat!

“Siheon…”
“Yes, it’s Siheon.”
“Sniff sniff. Siheon’s scent… Siheon’s sweat… Unchanged clothes. I love it.”

Cornus, sniffing at my scent in every corner. It should be revolting, but she somehow manages to be adorable. Her pure eyes gaze at me boldly, her nose twitching. Any proud dog lover would be unable to resist such a display.

The only problem is that she’s a woman, not a dog. The thought of this conversation leaking in any way was terrifying.

“What will you do if you actually become a puppy?”
“Will you let me? I want to be it. Siheon’s exclusive puppy.”
“No, you should not.”

Cornus, the ‘bark bark’ teacher, didn’t seem to grasp the joke.

“Why?”

Those innocent eyes. The affection pouring from them is overwhelmingly stimulating, no matter how many times I’ve experienced it.

“Cornus, you must remember that you are the noblest lady in the world.”

Let’s recall the Cornus I first met.

At the academy entrance ceremony, I watched from a distance, not even permitted to approach.

The El Academy’s deputy chair. Cornus.

Exceptional in academics, impeccable in appearance. The moment our eyes met within the training room, I was stricken by a palpable sense of nobility and dignity, an impression still vivid within my mind.

Her purity, nurtured in an environment of refinement and free from contamination, acts as a testament to her worthiness. For some, the honor of simply holding her hand would be a cherished wish. Our Sansuyu, a maiden of nobility and radiance, once found joy in a simple rice cake dish, tteokbokki.

Upon hearing my words, Sansuyu’s brows furrowed in melancholy, and she muttered as though nursing a wound,

“…Can a noble not aspire to be a puppy?”

How should one respond to such a sentiment? It was her dream, it seemed, to become a dog, a dream that carried the weight of noble aspirations. Would it be an insult to refuse this dream? Or would it be an affront to encourage such a peculiar ambition?

Caught in either risky scenario, a hollow chuckle slips from my mouth.

“I don’t believe it befits you.”
“Regardless, I want Sion to be a bitch. There are pedigree dogs too, after all.”

Sansuyu murmured these words, nestling further into my embrace. Her choice of words was strikingly unsuitable.

To equate the lineage of the distinguished Cornus family, rulers of the world for centuries, to a pedigree dog.

And to suggest that she could be the only one remaining…

“No, that’s not it.”
“Then? If not a pedigree dog… Ah, are you a mutt now that you’ve fallen from grace…?”
“Hey!!”

If Se-Young were to hear such words, chaos would ensue. In response, I tugged at Sansuyu’s supple cheeks.

“Ugh…..”
“Don’t speak like this.”

Her cheeks were pliant and inviting. As much as I desired to succumb to the temptation, discipline was needed.

From any perspective, it was a pitiful sight. Why insist on debasing herself? When I admonished her, Sansuyu protruded her lips and blew a raspberry.

“…If it’s because I lack a tail, I’ll bring one next time.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“A dog collar? Sion can do anything. Like this.”

Sansuyu slipped out from my hold. She brought her fists together and barked defiantly.

“Bark! Bark! I am Sion’s bitch.”

Could she be aware of the implications? Could she possibly be deriving enjoyment from my discomfort?

Her bright, barking face looked genuinely happy, which only served to amplify my irritation.

I’ve heard the murmurs and whispers. The lower classes, they yearn for a life unbound by society’s constraints, a life free from the looming shadow of the nobility’s oppressive walls.

However, Sansuyu, even as a noble, has experienced her fair share of hardships, and these murmurs do not apply to her. It is crucial to restore Sansuyu to her former vitality.

“Why are you doing this to me, Sansuyu…. Huh?”
“Is Sion upset?”
“No. Uh.”
“Then Sion should take care of me.”

She presented her ample bosom, too much for even two hands to hold, demanding that I nourish her.

“I’m dense… I lack common sense, and I’m a danger. Sion, you should raise me.”
“Why would that be necessary? I’ve rarely seen a child as intelligent as you. Instead of asking to be taken care of, you’re insisting on being raised…”

Feigning ignorance, she coyly insinuates herself.

Does he think I am oblivious to his discreet self-preservation?

Sansuyu, at this juncture, was capable of anything. Having attained ‘immortality’, she was a being that had vanquished even the frailty of time. Reconstructing the Cornus lineage was a task she could accomplish with ease.

A thought consequently surfaced. Sansuyu had no obligation to remain here.

“Why did you return to me?”

A flash of sagacity flickered in Suyu’s eyes, her demeanor not coquettish, but instilled with the nobility of an aristocrat.

Soon, her lips parted and her voice flowed out, gentle and kind.

“Then, why did Siheon, did you save me?”
“……..”

The emotions Suyu must have experienced then were likely far more enigmatic than what I feel now.

Despite the slight familiarity, I, who had no other point of connection, had attempted to rescue Sansuyu after battling with my mentor and even betraying my lover.

“…Perhaps.”

Although I said this, I harbored a conjecture.

It was not a simple, impulsive will to do what seemed necessary.

I yearned to substantiate my approach, my way, in one form or another.

‘By stepping into the past, to witness a future lost for the first time.’

I did not doubt that a slightly reckless judgment could offer me an opportunity.

Though he had pointed a gun at my head, the status window had provided a path forward. After escaping from there, and upon recognizing my destiny, I had wandered extensively.

After breaking away from Sansuyu’s gaze, I muttered, somewhat dazedly.

“It might sound strange, but I always thought the world surrounding me was incredibly brutal.”
“Hmm?”
“If you can’t make a friend, you die, so what? You can only survive if you have sex, and so on. I had endless grievances.”

However,

“It was the opposite.”

Contrarily, the environment around me was striving only to protect me, to the point of overdoing it and obstructing my path forward.

“Strange, isn’t it?”

Lee Se-young had been willing to risk her life to exterminate the Flower targeting me.

Sansuyu had left my embrace of her own accord to prevent me from meddling in her affairs.

My mentors had tried to shelter me, citing the danger.

“I thought the world was trying to kill me… but everyone was actually trying to save me.”

As if moving toward a certain destiny, as if influenced by some external force, everyone seemed to be gravitating towards the preservation of my life.

If I had succumbed to that gentle touch, surrendering to its blurry allure, the outcome would have been vastly different.

“…I saved you.”

The reason I rescued Sansuyu was because I believed escaping that environment was the only way to conquer destiny.

That period simply coincided with Sansuyu’s crisis. Even if it was mere coincidence, it wouldn’t have been unusual.

“Is that the reason?”
“It seems so. And thanks to that decision, I was able to save you.”

Upon hearing my words, Sansuyu tilted her head, pondering.

Our lovely golden retriever, she tenderly embraced me, her smile barely there.

– Tight.

“…Doesn’t seem like it?”

She clung to me, her laugh soft and playful, and easily dismissed my words. I insisted, yet why was she so resistant?

“Because, Si-heon, you were just too earnest.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you, Si-heon.”
“I’m not sure.”

Despite my denial, Cornus looked at me, her eyes full of unwavering trust.

“Didn’t you ask why I came back?”
“Uh, yes.”

Upon my nervous acknowledgement, an enigmatic smile crossed her face. She responded to my awkward acquiescence with a smile teeming with affection.

“Do you really not know?”

The reason, a singular emotion, known to both of us. That which Hong-Yeon confessed and was demonstrated by the moon.

With a voice laced with coquettish charm, Cornus murmured to me,

“Si-heon, you’re such a fool.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A feeling of overwhelming happiness, thrilling yet poignant.

How could one not love?

Even when I was oblivious to the sensation of love, I was in love with him.

[It’s okay.]

When my body was riddled with cuts and my deadened nerves refused to respond, even then, his voice resonated with a comforting warmth.

[If you survive, I’ll do anything.]

He cleaned my body, prepared my meals. He even tended to the inexplicable physiological needs of my seemingly lifeless body. He assured me that it was no burden, taking care of me as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

[Can you hear me?]

Yes, I can hear you.

I wasn’t able to hear him then. But now, I can dream like this every time. It’s all because he saved me.

‘……He mended my broken body.’

He breathed life into my lifeless form time and time again. After I regained consciousness, I often screamed out in pain.

Without a word of complaint, he accepted everything and filled my world with color.

[It’s a laptop, just wait. If you access this site, you can watch movies too, alright?]

Every time I saw his face growing slightly more haggard, my heart ached. The visage of his forced smiles while hiding his pains— that wouldn’t leave my mind.

Every time I lay in bed, his voice echoes in my mind, endlessly revolving.

[Are you awake?]
[How are you feeling today?]

[It’s alright. Stay still. Let’s lie back down.]

The voice that always communicated so tenderly. An affection I could never understand… one-sided.

[The broth is ready… What are you doing?]
[What do you wish to eat this time?]
[Tteokbokki can wait, let’s have it once you’re fully recovered.]

Compassion.

[You’ll improve soon.]
[Try taking deep breaths. Slowly. One, two.]
[Good. You did well.]

Attachment.

[If you’re in pain, let’s rest thoroughly today.]
[You want me to hold you? Sigh, alright. Come here.]

…Love.

[It’s Suyu.]

Emotions spewed out with my tears, intermingled with the mirage of summer.

I like you.

In a cramped, single-room studio, a place too narrow for two to lie down, ridden with molds from the dampness. He taught me about warmth for the first time.

‘I know I shouldn’t…’

If I could go back, I yearn to return to those days when we lived together.

Dragging my immobile legs, I waited for Siheon. I even risked getting scolded by offering him burnt rice.

Memories with him, who held me tighter than anyone else during the night, were deeply ingrained in my mind, refusing to fade.

It was fatally addictive. A fleeting moment filled with profound pain and joy.

[I…]
[Don’t leave me. Siheon…]

Even the memory of what almost happened then feels like a fervent love song now.

The desperate voice that echoed multiple times within the room. A barrage of unfamiliar sensations, emotions that ripped through my mind and burst forth.

The love I received from him.

“…Am I a fool?”

After receiving such love, how could I not love in return?

“Yes, Siheon, you fool.”

My time, destined for immortality, destined to stretch into eternity. There won’t be a single moment when I’m not in love.

With conviction, I held him.

“So, Siheon, you have to take care of me.”
“…Hmm.”

His hair, flowing like waves. Amidst the voluminous blonde strands, bright yellow petals danced fervently.